Introducing the SA Premier Business Awards
THE “SA Premier Business Awards” are South Africa’s apex business awards which integrate all single sectored awards (including Technology Awards, Quality Awards, Technology for Women in Business Awards and the Proudly South African Homegrown Awards) into one big, national business awards. The Awards represent and acknowledge all South African business sectors.
The Department of Trade and Industry (dti), in partnership with Proudly South African (Proudly SA) and Brand South Africa (Brand SA), is the custodian of the Awards and funds the awards.
The purpose and objective of the Awards includes the following, among others:
To recognize and honour local enterprises that promote the spirit of success, innovation, job creation, quality and good business ethics in SA’s business community
To showcase the best that SA has to offer i.e. businesses, products and services;
To create a platform for companies of all sizes and industries to compare themselves to each other and learn best practice;
To encourage and promote entrepreneurship;
To promote public-private partnerships;
To encourage and promote competitiveness;
To promote direct investment and growth in the industrial and services economy, with particular focus on job creation;
To promote broader participation in the economy and
To encourage a rise in the level of exports and promote equitable global trade.
South African enterprises, international and global companies (Investor Award) and members of the media (Media Award) who/which adhere to the various criteria per category - and achieved success in their various fields – can enter. The categories include:
Exporter Award The award aims to recognise all export industry sectors (from services to manufacturing) and encourage other South African companies to participate in international business development and markets. The finalists must illustrate a solid track record of trading in foreign markets for at least three fiscal years.
Media Award The aim of the award is to recognise the best efforts of journalists, publications, articles and/or programmes in broadcast, print and/or online media platforms which have contributed towards creating awareness around economic development, trade, job creation and/or entrepreneurship. The entrant should be able to demonstrate that it/he/she - through reporting and/or programming - created awareness, encouraged or impacted on issues relating to entrepreneurship, job creation and/or community upliftment in South Africa.
Quality Award The award recognises the efforts of South African enterprises which strive for quality through their business activities. The award aims to motivate enterprises to promote economic growth and improve their business practices and industrial competitiveness, through offering high quality products and services. The award will be presented to enterprises which have pro-actively implemented quality principles at all levels of the organisation.
Technology Award The award aims to recognise individuals and organisations for their consistent efforts to advance and promote innovation and technology. Bonus points will be allocated for supporting evidence that illustrates quality endorsements from other recognised industry associations or technology vendors as well as specific references to new jobs created or investments in people or skills.
Green Award The award is targeted at a company or organisation which exemplifies and upholds best practice environmental standards in their production and operational processes. Bonus points will be awarded to the organisation which complies with Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production (RECP) technologies and services that can contribute to the sustainability of value chains by delivering measurable economic, environmental and social impacts that support the national priorities of Growth, Equity and Employment.
Most Empowered Enterprise Award The award aims to encourage and promote compliance with B-BBEE as a national mandate. The organisation should demonstrate its compliance with all elements of the codes of good practice and submit a valid B-BBEE certificate, as issued by an approved Verification Agency. The company should also show a commitment towards community development and upliftment. Bonus points will be allocated for supporting evidence which illustrates the creation of new jobs, investment in people and/or skills and supplier development.
Rural Development Award The award is aimed at recognising and promoting community projects that are part of Government’s strategic interventions in poverty alleviation. The award targets emerging co-operatives which operate in any sector of the economy within a rural community. The award also focuses on the creation of sustainable job opportunities. Co-operatives, entities, individuals, NGOs or NPOs will quality for entry if they operate in rural communities and if they contribute towards poverty alleviation, by initiating projects for the economic benefit of the community.
Women Owned Enterprise Award The award is aimed at improving the imbalances of the past by recognising women who have made a significant impact in business and their communities.
Manufacturer Award The award recognises and promotes best practice and the important role of the manufacturing sector in South Africa’s economy.
Proudly South African Enterprise Award This award is aimed at valid Proudly South African member companies only, which are well recognised for their high-quality local products or services and for being proud and active members of the campaign.
SMME Award This award acknowledges small, medium and micro business enterprises as a key enabler of economic growth and employment in South Africa. The award targets small to medium entities with less than 300 employees and a turnover below R100m. The company should illustrate its sustainability as well as future potential to grow and create more local jobs.
Young Entrepreneur Award This award is aimed at recognising 100% youth-owned legal enterprises trading in South Africa. This award will recognise an individual young entrepreneur with a high level of entrepreneurial acumen, who has been nominated by his/her peers and who is recognized as a role model.
Investor Award This award recognizes an enterprise which has contributed towards job creation through the expansion of foreign direct investment into South Africa.
The dti, Proudly SA and Brand SA have chosen a specialist panel of judges, based on their business achievements and technical knowledge. The judges represent business, government, organized labour and community constituencies.
The Awards will take place on 20 March, 2013, at the Sandton Convention Centre.
Further information and entry forms can be obtained from the SA Premier Business Awards website at
www.sapremierbusinessawards.co.za
and queries can be sent to
info@sapremierbusinessawards.co.za